Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving dawned clear and bright here in the Eternal City.

We stealthy Americans knew what the locals didn't, that today was a day of major good foodness and festivity. Even in a pasta-rich environment, we still were able to rustle up the real stuff: turkeys and pumpkins. The outstanding community of sisters that cooks for us here at the house raised the bar yet again--pulling out all the stops as they prepared one of the best dinners of the year.

Archbishop Burke came to celebrate our midday Mass. I had made it to classes that morning, perhaps without sugarplums dancing in my head, but a profound awareness of the goodness of cranberry sauce. His homily was very good--looking back to family, friends and country, while grounding us in the gratitude that is fundamental to the Christian identity.

Our huge feast lasted well into the afternoon--followed of course by cigars out in the courtyard; a good time was had by all.

Gratitude is one of the strongest of outlooks. We often think there is greater intensity in something like desire or effort, but to have gratitude is to see things in their true perspective. Human proclivity is to look past what we have to what we still want--things which possessed quickly themselves are overlooked for new desires. This spontaneous blindness to what is closest to us obscures whole panoramas of our world. The grateful person, in contrast, is able to still see the beauty in what is close, what has been given. The grateful person recognizes that generosity already experienced is confirmation of providence yet to come. To see things as they really are, this is the privilege of the grateful person.

Speaking of being able to see things, that clear, bright weather of Thanksgiving made for some of the most spectacular views of the year in the city of Rome: Father Bill, going for a run up on Janiculum Hill was able to see the snow-covered mountains of some 70 miles away:

Photo by Father Bill Anton